stuhr



J. H. STUHR.

FUR STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 19w.

1,307,522. Patented June 24, 1919.

5. m r7071 Stu/1 OFFICE.

aroma H. sroma, or MIDWAY, W sconsin.

runes'rnnrcnmt.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN HI STUHR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Midway, in the county of La Crosse and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Fur- 'Stretchers, of which the following is a speci 'fication.

device of this kind readily adjustable to furs of difi'erent sizes, so thatits maximum eificiency may be attained. It is a further purpose to give a device of this kind in which the edge portions of the pelts of small furs will be satisfactorily held against shrinkage, at the same time that the fur is properly distended by the frame. It is also an aim to. give a. construction of a device of this kind in which there will be no parts liable to loss, and further to enable the construction of the parts with facility from stock material at a low cost.

Additional objects and advantages as well asfeatures of invention may be apparent from the following description. and draW- ings, in the latter of which,

Figure 1 is a top view of the device, with the gripping means in inoperative position,

Fig. 2 man edge view of the device, Fig. 3 is an end View, Fig. 4 is a detail of one of the gripping devices in engaging position, the bight of the frame being supposed to be below, Fig. 5 is a similar detail of the devie disengaged position.

There is illustrated a frame 10, substantially U-shaped in plan, the bight portion being suitably narrowedand shaped to fit the ordinary pelt, as at 11, one arm of the frame having an eye 12 formed therein at right angles to the mean plane of theframe, while the other arm has .an extended end bar portion 13 bent at right angles to the.

arm, and extended slidably through theeye 12. The end portion of the arm 13 is formed with a series of apertures 14, through which a pin 15 may be engaged, to hold the sides of the frame compressed toward each other as adjusted. The pin 15 is formed of wire having a helix 16.at its base engaged around vj-"- 13 slidably therein, the outer part of the e in Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 24, 1919. I. Application filed February 7. 1919. Serial no. 275,662.

the arm inwardly of theeye l2 loosely, to v. 7

'permit its longitudinal slidin upon the arm. The arm pieces lave a series of apertures 17 therethrough extended at right angles to the mean plane of thefrarne, and in these there are pivoted pelt grips 18, now to be described. i

movement Each grip is formed of a single piece of 1 wire, having an intermediate pivot portion 19 engaged through "the aperture of the frame, and having opposite end portions bent at right angles thereto on radii at an angle approximately 90 degrees, as at 20 and i.

' 21. The arm 20 at theextremity is bent inwardly to form a strike portion 22, adapted to rest against the side ofthe frame arm at opposite limits of the pivotal movement of the gripping device. The arm 21 is positioned so that when the stop 22 is engaged it. At the opposite position of the gripping, device, the'stop 22 being engaged a ainst the sideofthe frame arm in the direction of the bight of the frame, the pelt-engaging points of the arm 21 will be directed inwardly of..

the frame, as shown in Fig. 1. The stops 22 may be utilized as manipulating devices by which the gripping devices may be v shifted from one position to the other. 1 A

rod 25 formed of heavy wire similar to that of which the frame-itself is made, is formed with an eye 26 receivingthe transverse bar rod 25 being rectilinear in form and pro- 7 'vided with a series of transverse apertures in which there are swiveled double hook devices 27 by which edge portions of pelts between the arms of the frame maybe engaged and suitably supported." Or, the rod 25-may be swung outwardly to extend longitudinally in the opposite direction from the frame 10, and utilized'to support ia head portion or other part of a pelt which cannot be conveniehtlyrngaged over thea-rms of the frame 10. In the last mentioned position the position of the hook devices .27 may be reversed, so that their points will be directed outwardly from. the frame so as to properly engage portions of a pelt, as necessary.

In use, in order to stretch a pelt, the operator simply inserts the end portion 11 of the frame within the pelt and forces it thereproperly drawn upon the frame the pivot devices willbe in the position as shown in Fig. 5, and the operator then inserts a finger first at one side and then "at the other, engaging the stops 22 and pullingthern out- \vardly thereby forcing the arms 21 toward the outer side of the frame and into the positio'n'shown in Fig. 4 where it will so engage the pelt as to prevent it shrinking and drawing off of the frame. The hook devices 27 are then suitably engaged in the intermediate parts'of the pelt or otherwise as required. After the pelt is dried in order to release the devices 27 from the edge portions the pelt is grasped and pulled towa rd the bar 13 slightly, while the finger is inserted Within the pelt and the hooks 27 operated to release the pelt. The gripping devices 21 are released by pushing inwardly on the stops 22 until they have reached an inoperative position such as indicated in solid lines in F igs. 1 and 5. The pelt may then be drawn from the frame without any inter- 'ference.

- an arm having a stop thereon to, engagethe inner side of the frame, and an arm fixed relatively to the first, movable inwardly and outwardly of the frame for the purposes de- 'scribed.- v I In testimony whereof I have affixed my.-

of two witnesses.

signature in presence JOHN H. STUHR. Witnesses:

BRONNO W. MULDER,

Anion MULDER. 

